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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Words that describe or categorize words #178988 09/03/08 03:46 AM Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 B BaselAnnie OP stranger OP BaselAnnie stranger B Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 Is there a word for a word that has the same spelling and the same (or almost the same) meaning in two different languages? ("So" exists in both German and English, with the same or a similar meaning.) Is there a word for a word that has the same spelling in two different languages, but different meanings? ("Do" in Portuguese means "of the.") Is there a word for a word that looks and/or sounds like the same word, or perhaps almost the same word, in two languages, but in fact has different meanings depending on the language? ("embarazada" in Spanish doesn't mean "embarrassed"; "Taille" in German means "waist"; "gato" in Spanish or Portuguese means "cat," not "gate.") Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Words that describe or categorize words BaselAnnie #178990 09/03/08 05:21 AM Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania The Pook old hand The Pook old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania my guess would be...no, no and no. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Words that describe or categorize words The Pook #178993 09/03/08 07:33 AM Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 British Columbia, Canada Z Zed Pooh-Bah Zed Pooh-Bah Z Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 British Columbia, Canada I have heard the term "false friends" for words that are the same -or nearly- in two languages. eg En frente (facing) vs in front. I pr;obably spelled that wrong but I'm too tired to look it up. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Words that describe or categorize words BaselAnnie #178995 09/03/08 11:02 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803  Originally Posted By: BaselAnnie Is there a word for a word that has the same spelling and the same (or almost the same) meaning in two different languages? ("So" exists in both German and English, with the same or a similar meaning.) These may of may not be cognates. In the case of closely related languages such as English and German the likelihood of their being cognates is relatively high. In the case of languages not that closely related, or with no known relations they are either loan words or pure coincidences. Of the former an example might be the English skosh from the Japanese sukoshi. I used to have a bookmark for a list of words that just happened to look and sound the same with the same or opposite meanings but it seems to have expired.  Originally Posted By: BaselAnnie Is there a word for a word that has the same spelling in two different languages, but different meanings? ("Do" in Portuguese means "of the.") This category is the one that I would call 'false friends'. I would guess the term is more likely to be used for languages that do have some vocabulary in common than it is for totally coincidental examples as the ones I alluded to above.  Originally Posted By: BaselAnnie Is there a word for a word that looks and/or sounds like the same word, or perhaps almost the same word, in two languages, but in fact has different meanings depending on the language? ("embarazada" in Spanish doesn't mean "embarrassed"; "Taille" in German means "waist"; "gato" in Spanish or Portuguese means "cat," not "gate.") These would also be 'false friends'. Edit: I did discover this list of some coincidences. Not the entire list from my expired bookmark but enough to make the point. Last edited by Faldage; 09/03/08 11:13 AM. Reason: Addendum Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Words that describe or categorize words Faldage #179014 09/04/08 01:40 AM Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania The Pook old hand The Pook old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania Skosh is an English word? Never heard of it. Use it in a sentence. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Words that describe or categorize words The Pook #179017 09/04/08 01:53 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Move over just a skosh so I can squeeze in. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Words that describe or categorize words Faldage #179029 09/04/08 11:13 PM Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 876 western NY twosleepy old hand twosleepy old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 876 western NY Skosh is Japanese?!? I always thought it was yiddish or something! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Words that describe or categorize words twosleepy #179030 09/04/08 11:33 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass here's The Straight Dope. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Words that describe or categorize words tsuwm #179041 09/05/08 01:24 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803  Originally Posted By: tsuwm here's The Straight Dope. The Straight Dope link was, of course, for any of y'all who didn't accept my link to the AHD. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Words that describe or categorize words Faldage #179045 09/05/08 01:17 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague  Quote: Quote:Faldage: These would also be 'false friends'. Edit: I did discover this list of some coincidences. Not the entire list from my expired bookmark but enough to make the point. Coming just across a coincidence it looks like half of our words is the result of some coincidences. Came across this: Cheyenne: p- poeso- cat; p as in English "spoon" (unaspirated) Poeso has the exact but for one character spelling as the Dutch word "poes" (cat), just also like in English "spoon", unaspirated. 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